


Admitting Defeat

by fleshlycherry



Category: Naruto
Genre: Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-03
Updated: 2011-05-03
Packaged: 2017-10-18 22:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleshlycherry/pseuds/fleshlycherry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At Hinata's bedside after the Chunin exam.  I wrote this while shipping, but it is perfectly gen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Admitting Defeat

Neji could have killed Naruto for encouraging Hinata.

“You are a stubborn person.”

He brushed an errant strand of hair off her face. She smiled up at him wanly and opened her mouth to speak, but her small body was wracked with a cough. She carefully pressed a handkerchief to her lips, wiping away the blood.

“Hinata- _sama_ , I told you to give up.”

“No, Neji- _nii-san_ , you told me I was weak, a failure.”

“I said that to make you give up Hinata- _sama_ , I didn’t want to hurt you, do this to you.”

“If I had spoken those words to you _nii-san_ , would you have given up?”

He opened his mouth to reply but she continued on. “No, you wouldn’t. You would have stayed and fought. I am not strong Neji- _nii-san_ , I know this, but I am not without pride.”

Neji was shocked. He had never heard Hinata speak this way before.

“This is true Hinata- _sama_. But please, if ever again I tell you to give up, do it.”

Hinata winced as she shifted in the bed; Neji quickly came to her aid, resettling the blankets over her shoulders. She smiled carefully. “I will consider it.”

He watched in silence as the tonic did its work and she drifted off to sleep. Neji entwined his fingers with Hinata’s. “For my sake, I hope you do.”


End file.
